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Teaching the little ones....

I'm sure there is a thread out here on this but I can't find it. I need advice on teaching my kids how to wakeboard. A friend said to let them lay flat on their back and let the board float and it will pull them right up. Needless to say it didn't work and that was my 4 year old. I was thinking for that one to have him start real shallow where my brother can actually be holding him on top of the water when the boat starts to pull him. This won't help him learn to get up but if he can start on the water and learn to enjoy it he won't get frustrated so fast. For his older brothers I am deepwater starting but I think I will have them turn the nose up some, that seems to work best for me. Those two haven't tried yet. Let me know what you all did. (Won't have time to put the boat in this weekend so I am going to use the waverunner, maybe it won't be as intimidating)

tell'em to get in squat position, with front edge of brd. up. just pull'em up real slow , telling them to just let the boat kinda roll them into an upright position. it just takes a small amount of power to get them up. My daughter and grand daughter seem i could almost pull them up by my hands they pop up on top so quick... jet ski would probally be great for learning just alot easier to reload with. My daughter learned to ski behind a jon boat with a 15 hp merc. smile.... be patient , have fun,it will happen... bob

When my son started at 6 years old, we started him deep water with my brothers help. My brother would take his hand and push my son's body out of the water at the same time I would go. The key to pulling kids is go very slow. Hopes he gets it. Nothing will make you more proud than to see him riding and every head turning, and people shouting encourgement when you go by

Getting started

I have had tremendous success teaching friends and little cousins to wakeboard. I think an important thing to do before you start is to get them comfortable and in control while in the water with the board. Often times I see people behind the boat just sort of bobbing around as the water tosses them, struggling to face the right direction and to keep the board where they want it. I usually put the boat in gear, get the line taught, and pull them for a little distance at a "just in gear" speed. While doing this you can critique they're body positioning, talk them through getting up, let them get a feel for the resistance of the water pushing up on the board that is going to ultimately float them up out of the water. Once they get control and are ready to try and get up, start with a slow little pull, like before, until you visualize they're body in perfet position ready to get up, then you (the driver) accelerate for a normal start to pull them out. Remind them to let the boat do the work and pull them out of the water, stay low, arms straight, and to enjoy it.

Once up, remember good athletic posture: chest up, knees bent, shoulders in line over your knees, inline over your toes.

If you have any specific troubles with any of them, I might have some other ideas.

This is what I did with my son when he was about 5 or 6. I beached the boat and taught him the proper getting up technique in a couple feet of water, along the beach. I pulled him manually by running along the beach using a handle with about 10' of rope. It doesn't take much speed at all to get these little guys on top of the water. I did this about a half dozen times so that he could get used to being pulled and figure out what to do without being intimated being 75' behind the boat by himself in deep water. It was easier for him to focus on getting up since I was next to him on the beach giving instructions and he is in about 2' of water.

We then got in the boat and tried it for real. He got up on the first pull, on my board no less, which was about a foot taller than him.

Tell your son to bend his legs, put his knees together, arms straight with elbows wrapped around his knees. Then, when the pull comes, have him bring his butt forward to his heels and try and squat on top of the board (keep his center of gravity real low), let the boat pull him up (don't pull on the rope) and stand up slowly, square his shoulders to the boat, back straight. And pull him up slow - he won't need much throttle at all.

Ok, that was a bust. Nobody to help steady the little ones and the other problem was using the waverunner. With the boat you can forward, neutral, or reverse to keep the boat still, the waverunner is always in forward. A slow forward but enough that if the child isn't ready it isn't going to work. Next weekend, my brother will help and the Moomba gets put in!

My son, Reece, is 4 and learned to deep water start on his own this week. He's been riding with me holding the board when he starts since the first of the season, but after working with him he decided he wanted to do it himself.

Someone starting with them really helps them with their stance, positioning at launch, and the mechanics of getting the board around and rope ready to go.